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The rugby rankings work like that and also provide greater award for winning by more than 15 points.

Trouble is, India would just continue to tour Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to top up their points.

And they don't even play the best team in their region, Pakistan, so no doubt they'll schedule a 8 match test series against Afghanistan later this year. That's fine, just makes it all the more sweet when they habitually lose in Eng, Aus and SA.

I think the NZ series should be a tight series. I'd be bitterly disappointed if England lost but I think the Kiwis have a great chance of turning over. Even though India have a decent seam attack these days I would expect us to beat them in the summer and claw back some points.

I think the NZ series should be a tight series. I'd be bitterly disappointed if England lost but I think the Kiwis have a great chance of turning over. Even though India have a decent seam attack these days I would expect us to beat them in the summer and claw back some points.

We have to face Pakistan first - with their ranking being so low a drawn series is no use.

India have to be the most fraudulent top ranked test side since... Pakistan?

There's no standout side with a really strong claim for being the best in the world right now, it's interesting (although usually very boring home win series). Oz and SA are the two most well-equipped sides to my mind to compete in a range of conditions; SA certainly would be the best if you discount all the niggling fitness issues that hit them seemingly constantly (Rabada, De Kock, Elgar and Amla seem their only consistently fit first choice players). Think you have to discount Steyn, really, these days - with him, their bowling attack from their last test is the best in the world, decent wedge ahead of Australia and then a massive gap between the rest who are essentially all only good at home. Without Steyn it's less clear cut, certainly, and in another couple of years without Morkel, Philander, AB and Amla (although he is definitely not the player he was) it will certainly be a much less formidable sight.

Australia have the core of a very good team for the next 5 years or so and will probably be the standout side over that next period (next Ashes will almost certainly be the best chance to win in England since god knows when), but will seemingly have perennial problems filling in at least 3 spots in the top 7 - unless Mitch Marsh has finally arrived as a test cricketer. Paine, SMarsh and Khawaja have had good series but it's hard to see them being staples of the side in 5 years time, given their ages. Warner and Lyon should still be going then, though.

There's no standout side with a really strong claim for being the best in the world right now, it's interesting (although usually very boring home win series). Oz and SA are the two most well-equipped sides to my mind to compete in a range of conditions; SA certainly would be the best if you discount all the niggling fitness issues that hit them seemingly constantly (Rabada, De Kock, Elgar and Amla seem their only consistently fit first choice players). Think you have to discount Steyn, really, these days - with him, their bowling attack from their last test is the best in the world, decent wedge ahead of Australia and then a massive gap between the rest who are essentially all only good at home. Without Steyn it's less clear cut, certainly, and in another couple of years without Morkel, Philander, AB and Amla (although he is definitely not the player he was) it will certainly be a much less formidable sight.

Not sure the stats back up your theories. SA were pretty comfortably beaten in England last year where notably they had been very strong in the Smith years.

When did Aus last win an away series? In fact, take out W Indies, when did anyone last win an away series outside of their Continent?

I was quite impressed by India's seam attack last week, they at least made it a decent spectacle and will surely remain competitive in the series. They may have made it to Number 1 under fairly tenuous circumstances, but I reckon they probably are about the best team to be competitive in all places. I expect a close series in England this year....

Not sure the stats back up your theories. SA were pretty comfortably beaten in England last year where notably they had been very strong in the Smith years.

When did Aus last win an away series? In fact, take out W Indies, when did anyone last win an away series outside of their Continent?

I was quite impressed by India's seam attack last week, they at least made it a decent spectacle and will surely remain competitive in the series. They may have made it to Number 1 under fairly tenuous circumstances, but I reckon they probably are about the best team to be competitive in all places. I expect a close series in England this year....

Without Steyn and De Villiers and with a half-fit Philander, but yes - although England in England is not a series any team would expect to win. They also won in Australia, though (possibly the last cross-continent series win?). No side is anything close to dominant at present - we'll see how India do over the next year. Hopefully with Umesh, Rahul and Rahane playing.

Not sure the stats back up your theories. SA were pretty comfortably beaten in England last year where notably they had been very strong in the Smith years.

When did Aus last win an away series? In fact, take out W Indies, when did anyone last win an away series outside of their Continent?

I was quite impressed by India's seam attack last week, they at least made it a decent spectacle and will surely remain competitive in the series. They may have made it to Number 1 under fairly tenuous circumstances, but I reckon they probably are about the best team to be competitive in all places. I expect a close series in England this year....

South Africa in Australia I think, although conditions between the two are rather similar.